When I think of sharks, I imagine that most people swim away from them. However, one man is swimming for them. That's right. Endurance athlete Lewis Pugh is trying to break the stigma against the apex predators of the sea. There is no better time to do so than around the 50th anniversary of the iconic film Jaws. So now, Pugh is swimming the 60-mile circumference of Martha's Vineyard in the hopes of changing the public's opinion on sharks.
Endurance Athlete Completes Epic Swim For Benefit Of Sharks
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MV Times shares that "British-South African Lewis Pugh was the first person to swim across the North Pole and complete an endurance swim in every ocean of the world." So, this man is one heck of an endurance athlete. However, now he has his eyes set on a new mission. This particular swim isn't about the distance but more about the message. Pugh is trying to change the public's perception of sharks.
Although he openly admits that he, too, is frightened of sharks, he is more fearful of living in a world without them. Therefore, he is trying to raise awareness of the importance of sharks in a healthy ocean and ecosystem. He is swimming around the island in chunks for 11 days to help write the new narrative on sharks.
Additionally, he timed his swim around the 50th anniversary of the release of the film Jaws. That film is often credited with instilling mass hysteria and fear of sharks, so it seems fitting that he would do a swim for sharks during the anniversary of the very film that gave them their bad reputation. However, while he is trying to spread good vibes about sharks, he is not being careless.
He understands they are still dangerous predators and is taking the proper precautions. MV Times shares that "he will have a magnetic field deployed under a boat that will follow him on his journey to deter sharks from getting too curious." The endurance athlete had this to say about the goal of this endeavor. "Sharks are integral to ocean health, and ocean health is integral to human survival." He continued, "This is not just about future generations. We must learn to respect and protect sharks today, and this will be my key message."
